Pneumatic action.



A. H. HOPPERT.

PNBUMATIG ACTION.

` APPLIGATION FILED JULY 22, 1913. 1 ,087,769.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Patented Feb. 1'?, 1914.

HIWWW,

A. H. HOPPERT.

PNBUMATIG AGTION.

APPLIOATION PIL'BD JULY 22, 1913.

N `'oisnrcn sTArEs rnannr ernten AIR-.VIN H. HOPPERT, 0F ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN.

PNEUMATIC ACTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

.Patented Feb. 17, 1914.

Application filed July 22, 1913. Serial No. 780,537.

T 0 al( wild/nt t may concern Beit known that l, ARVIN ll. Horreur,

acitizen of the United States, residing at Ann Arbor, in thecounty of W'ashtenaw and State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvenients in Pneumatic Actions, of which the following is a'specilication. 4 The-invention relatcsto player pianos, and more particularly to th actions forv player pi anos.

The primaryobject of the invention is the provision of fi` pneumatic which can 'be con- 'vemently` n'iounted' in apneumatic action andrhas'connection with a main air 4chamber wherein constant suction is maintained from the Imain bellows so that the pneumatic will instantly respond on the opening ot' its inlet for the accurate action' thereof for control linerv the hannners ot the piano act-ion in the automatic playing ofthe saine.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a pneumatic actionnwherein the valve is actuated in a novel manner to sure the proper piano action for the autol matic pla-ying ot the piano.

further object ot the invention is the provision of Va pneumatic action which is simple in construction, durable. compact, capable of being. conveniently installed 'above `the keyboardfor the direct eonnectionwith the piano or other action, and also which is inexpensive in inanui'aeture.

The intention consists of novel features and parts. and conibiimtions ot the same,

`which willbe more fully described hereinafter in detail and then pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

In the drawingaz-Figure` l a vertical transverse sectional view ot a piano showing` the player and piano action with the pneumatic action constructed in accordance with the invention arranged therein. Fig'. Q

is a fragmentary planifiew of several ot the pnenmatios. Fie'. Slis a sectional view on the line 23M?, at Fie'. Q. Fig. l is a sectional view on 'the line i-il of Fig. 3. Fig'. 5 is a horizontal seetionalview on the line 5-5 of Figxfl.

Similar:reference characters indicate corresponding' parts throughout the several views in the drawings. v

Referring to the drawings in detail, the main suction chamber A is connected with the main bellowsB through the mediumof va tube C, and lixehto the top of the suction 7 connected with the e class of pneumatic chamber A is the supporting` plate 5 of each pneumatic 6, which has its movable member abstract 8 of the piano action. lThe abstract 8 engages the wippen 9 of the piano action so that when a .pneumatic G collapses, then a swinging motion is given to the wippen 9 to act-nate the corresponding hammer with a viewbf sounding the desired .4 string. By the arrangement de scribed the piano can be readily played by hand without interference with the pneu matic action.

Each pneumatic G comprises a Xed member 10 to which is connected the movable member T, and is formed with a chamber 1l disposed vertically therein, one end of which closed by the plate 5 while its opposite end is closed from the bellows 13 of the movable member 7 ot' the pneumatic, Athe chamber 1l being fitted with a brass guide tube 14 in which is held a piston l5, the stem 16 of which extends through an aperture 17 in the closed end of the chamber 11 and projects vinto the bellows 18, the projected end ot' the stem 1G being detachably connected. to a rocker arm 1S preferably made from aluminum, the same being' formed with a medial fulcrum rib 1S) and is supported upon a pivot 2O fixed in the inner face vof the stationarymember l0 of the pneumatic.

-The stationary member l() of the. pneumatic is formed with a suction vent 21 which opens directly into the bellows 13 of the said pneumatic and also communicates dilrectl with the main suction chamber A. Also this stationary member l0 is formed with vente Q22 and 23, the latter leading from the atmosphere to the bellows 13, while the vent communicatesl with the lower end of thev loo sheet over the said tracker board 27 the music note perforations inthe sheet will register with the respective perforations in the tracker board'so as to permit the intake of air-,thereth1ough on the Working'fo the llO player actionv for the operation of the pneumatics 6 which control the wippen 9 of the piano action, whereby the hammers thereof will be forced against lie strings lof the piano for the sounding" thereof, "thereby automatically playing thesa'yd piano.

, Opening into tlieupper' end of the valve hambei 11 is a port 28 which communicates directly with the main suction chamber A, the latter being subject to a constant suetion from the main bellows B when operated so that wlieiithe inlet tube 26 is open for the intake of airthrough the tracker board 27 the suction in the port 28 will 'cause the lifting of the piston 15, thus rocking the rocker arm so that the vent 21 will be placed 'in direct communication with the main suction chamberA and simultaneously therewith the 'rocker arm 18 will close the vent 23 to the atmosphere and coincident therewith the bellows 13 will be caused to collapse, thereby lifting the movable member 7 which in turn I y actuates the hammer of the piano action for the sounding ofa note by the same striking a string.

The vent 23 opens through one side of the stationary member 10 of the pneumatic, and

' as heretofore stated is controlled -by the trolling accurately the action of the hammers, and when this bellows 13 -is extended air is sucked in from the atmosphere through the vent 23 so that the extending of the said bellows is not impeded. The piston 15 is arranged in the chamber 11 of the stationary' member 10 of the pneumatic 6, while 'the rocker arm 18 is mounted on the stationary member 10 and is located withii-n the bellows 13 andis adapted to control the vents- 21 and .23 respectively, which aie staggered with relation to each other. .When a tracker board perforation is uncovered and air passes through the tracker board perforation the vacuum in the piston chamber`11. below the piston 15 is relieved so that the said piston 1-5 will be raised by they suction from the main suction chamber A i through the port 28 and simultaneously the- '60 rocker arm 18 will berocked, uncovering the suction vent 21 so that direct communication is established between the said suction cha'mber A and the bellows 13, thereby creating a suction within the bellows 13 and causin 2 1 is open the vent 23 is instantly closed to atmospheric pressure, at which time the interior of the pneumaticv is in communication with the suction chamber A so that the pneumatic is collapsed and consequently the rocker ari-n 8 is moved to' actuate thel wippen 9 for actuating the hammer and sounding the proper string. .As -soon as the tracker board perforation is'closedby the note sheet the bellows 13 of the pneumatic 6 is shut oil' u from communicationwith lthe` main Asuction chamber A and atmospheric air is taken in through the port 23 provided in the .stationary member 10 of the pneumatic, thereby permitting the previously collapsed pneumatic to become extended or returned to normal open position. v

The driving mechanism of the note sheet, the tracker board. the pia-no action, and the main bellows of the pneumatic action are of any ordinary well-known coiistiguction and are operated in any ordinary well-knownmaniier. The construction of the pneumatic and the manner of mounting the same on the main suction chamber avoids utilizing eonsiderable space and enables'the said pneu'- matic to be conveniently and easily mounted in the piano to assure compactness and also avoids the necessity of the use of long tubes leading from the tracker board to the pneumatics, thus reducing the expense and decreasing the danger of leakage between the pneumatic action and thetracker board,

pneumatic-s for the latter open and collapse almost instantly.

Freni the foregoing it is thought that the construction and manner of operation of the device will be clearly understood, and therefore a more extended explanationhas been matic being further provided with vents one of which leads from the bellows to the atmospliere and the other from a tracker board 1 to the piston chamber, a rocker arm fulcrumed within the bellows and adaptedto and also assures a very quick action of the alternately close the suction vent and atmospheric air inlet Vent, and a p is'to'n movably held within the piston chambej and connected with the rockerl arm-for actuating the same.

`2. The combination witli'a suction cham` y bei', of a pneumatic action eomprisin it stan u g tionary member, abelllolws.' carried. l the collapsing of the same. When the vent ber'being provided with a piston chamber' to alternately close the suction vent and at-4 mospheric air inletvenr, a piston niovably held within the 'ton chamber and connected with the i ier arm for actuating the same, and adj ible means mounted on the stationary me erfor regulating the collapsing actionoi. the bellows.

3'. The combination with a suction chamber, of a pneiunatic action comprising a sta t-ionary member, a bellows carried by the stationary member, the said stationary member being provided with a piston chamber having communication with the' suction chamber, the said stationary member being` provided. with a vent leading from the suction chamber to the bellows, the said pneumatic being further provided with vents one of which leads from the bellows to the at? mosphere and the other from a tracker board to the piston chamber, a rockery arm fulcrumed within the bellows and adapted to alternately close the suction vent and atmospheric air inlet vent, a piston movably held within the piston chamber and connected with the rocker arm for actuating the same, adjustable means mountedon the stationary member for regulating the collapsing action of the bellows, and resilient pads mounted about the suction and atmospheric vents and engaged by the ends of the rocker arm.

4. The combination with a suction chainK ber, of a pneumatic action comprising a stationary member, a bellows carried by the stationary member, the said stationary member being provided with a piston chamber having communication with the suction chamber, the said stationary member being provided with a vent leading from the suction chamber to the bellows, the said pneumatic being further provided with vents one ci which leads from the.A bellows to' the atmosphere and the other from a tracker board to the piston chamber, a rocker arm fulcrumed within the bellows and adapted to alternately close the suction vent and atmospheric air inlet vent, a piston movably held within the piston chamber and connected with the rocker arm for actuating the same, adjustable means mounted on the stationary member for regulating),` the collapsing action of 4the bellows, resilient pads mounted about the suction and atmospheric vents and engaged by the ends oi the rocker arm, and a fulcrum rib formed on the rocker arm and working against the stationary member for assuring the proper degree of rocking action of the arm.

ln testimony whereof l aliix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

Altllll il'. OPPERT.

'Witnesses EDWIN HAMILTON, CLEO E, Horner/m. 

